Fleet Air Arm Museum

The Fleet Air Arm Museum houses a very large and well presented collection of aircraft and memorabilia. Four display halls portray the development of Naval aviation from World War I to the Gulf War.

Venue Type:

Museum

Opening hours

NOW until Sunday 30th October 2016.Open Everyday, 10.00am to 5.30pm*Please note our Restaurant will open in line with the Museum from Wednesday until Sunday unless otherwise stated, 0930-1700 for the duration of our summer opening hours.*Please note: because of the length of time it takes to explore the Carrier Exhibition in Hall 3, last entry to this Exhibition is 4.15pm.

Monday 31st October 2016 until Friday 31st March 2017Open Wed to Sun only, 10.00am to 4.30pm*CLOSED Mondays and Tuesdays except during Somerset school holidaysPlease note our Restaurant will open in line with the Museum from Wednesday until Sunday unless otherwise stated, 0930-1600 for the duration of our winter opening hours.*Please note: because of the length of time it takes to explore the Carrier Exhibition in Hall 3, last entry to this Exhibition is 3.15pm.

The centrepiece of the museum is the 'Carrier' display, in which visitors are 'flown' inside a Wessex helicopter onto the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. Here they can examine the aircraft arranged on deck and follow a guided tour of the Carrier's 'island' - finishing up at FlyCo where all aircraft operations are controlled. In addition, the 'Leading Edge' gallery contains a Concorde prototype and examples of several post-war research aircraft. Across the road from the Museum, is Cobham Hall and it houses the Museum's extensive reserve collection not currently on display and is open to visitors on a few days each year.

Collection details

Archives, Aviation, Coins and Medals, Costume and Textiles, Land Transport, Maritime, Personalities, Weapons and War

Key artists and exhibits

Naval aviation history

Wessex helicopter

Concorde prototype

Holds number of aircraft that are the only surviving examples of their type.

Events details are listed below. You may need to scroll down or click on headers to see them all. For events that don't have a specific date see the 'Resources' tab above.

Event

The Navy's Air War: Jutland 1916

18 May 2016 — 31 December 2017 *on now

The exhibition will feature The Short Type 184, the only aeroplane to fly over the vast swathes of the North Sea during the battle, which involved 250 warships and saw 7,000 sailors killed, 100 years ago. It was embarked in HMS Engadine and its reconnaissance flight was a key part of the battles operation. The remains of the pioneering aircraft will be displayed with a visual presentation of what she looked like as a complete aircraft.

The Sopwith Baby, complete with Le Prieur anti-zeppelin rockets, which were really glorified fireworks, will go on display next to the remains of the Short Type 184 for the Jutland exhibition opening on May 18th.

Two Sopwith Baby aircraft were embarked in HMS Engadine at Jutland (along with the Short Type 184) in anticipation of zeppelin attacks.

The museum’s Sopwith Baby is a replica built by Royal Naval Engineering Apprentices in the 1970s. However it utilises some components using from two original WW1 Sopwith Baby aircraft.

Website

E-mail

General enquiries

Education enquiries

Curatorial enquiries

Telephone

01935 840565

Education

01935 842620

Curatorial Division

01935 842611

All information is drawn from or provided by the venues themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.

The Fleet Air Arm Museum is marking the 70th anniverary of the Battle of the Atlantic with an exhibition exploring the aircraft, the people, the ships, the submarines and the technology of the longest battle of World War Two.